


Under Wings

by SailorChibi



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Age Play, Alternate Universe - Croatoan/Endverse, Baby Dean, Castiel & Claire Novak Friendship, Croatoan Virus, Croatoans, Crying, Cuddling, Dean Winchester Needs a Hug, Dean Winchester Saves Castiel, Dean Winchester gets a hug, Diapers, Episode: s05e04 The End, Falling Castiel, Falling angel Castiel, Gen, Grace - Freeform, In more ways than one, Infantilism, John Winchester's A+ Parenting, Little Headspace, Non-Sexual Age Play, POV Castiel, Protective Castiel, alternate universe - littles are known, baby!dean - Freeform, castiel is hiding on earth to get away from them, daddy!castiel, dean winchester has a shining soul, falling anael, john winchester is not a good father, michael and lucifer are fighting a lot, no righteous man in this fic, non sexual age play, non sexual infantilism, thumb sucking
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-02
Updated: 2018-11-22
Packaged: 2019-08-16 18:55:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,439
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16500893
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SailorChibi/pseuds/SailorChibi
Summary: With Michael and Lucifer's battle slowly destroying the Earth and the Croatoan virus taking care of the rest, Cas is hiding out on Earth. He might be falling, but he's got Claire as company and a comfortable routine moving from hiding spot to hiding spot... until he comes across a Little in the woods with most beautiful soul he's ever seen.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is a commission for an anon who wanted endverse with age play.

It was raining again. At one time, Cas hadn't minded the rain. When he was an angel, he’d always liked stealing down to Earth and admiring what humans referred to as the little things: the rain, the wind, the warmth of the sun, the ocean waves. He’d found comfort in the fruits of their Father’s labors, which made sense to him in a way that his brethren did not.

Now, more than anything, rain meant wet socks and shoes and generally unpleasant walking conditions. Cas sighed, rubbing a hand over face, and pondered the intelligence of staying in the tiny shelter for another night. There was a chance he could be discovered, but also a chance that he wouldn't be. The sky was grey and overcast, indicating that it would probably rain for most of the day and well into the night at this rate. Sometimes it was easy to find shelter, but sometimes it wasn't - and with more of his grace draining by the day, shelter was becoming more important.

He finally decided against leaving. He wasn't so far gone that he wouldn't sense another angel or demon around, and he was confident of his ability to escape if need be. Michael's angels and Lucifer's demons were clumsy on Earth, and stood out like spots of black and white against a sea of color. Cas, on the other hand, was very proud of how far he'd come in the past two years. He could _finally_ pass as a human, if a slightly odd one, to the point where no one gave him a second look if he chose to spend the night amongst humans in one of the bigger shelters. He had the tendency to avoid them because of hunters, but it was still a point of pride.

"We'll stay here tonight, Claire," he said, setting a hand on the head of his companion.

Claire woofed softly and shifted closer, curling up so close that her back was pressed snugly against Cas's thigh. Having a dog was potentially dangerous and something that got them a lot of side looks when they were around humans. Cas never bothered to explain that he wouldn't have left her behind for anything, not even a resolution to this ridiculous war. Claire followed him everywhere, slept with him at night, and would only eat from his hand. She'd saved Cas's life, and that meant a lot when you could count on one hand the amount of people, angels or demons that you could trust.

He petted her and decided that, if the rain let up, he and Claire would go hunting for food. As an angel, Cas didn't technically need to eat. But he'd found that it helped to conserve his grace if he could support this body in other ways, which meant regular food, sleep, shelter and bathing. They'd caught a rabbit last night, and he'd skinned and cooked it over their fire. He figured they could catch another one tonight without too much trouble. It would be nice to catch a deer, but that much meat would spoil long before they could consume it all.

Cas dozed for a while, slipping in and out of a sound sleep, before Claire's shuffling woke him fully. He stood and stretched, then pushed back the tin covering the space that served as a door and poked his head out. He didn't see or hear anything, so he gave Claire a nod. She bounded out and headed straight for a patch of nearby flowers to do her business. Cas turned away, eyes scanning the woods. They'd have to go deeper before they'd be able to catch anything; food was getting scarcer as more humans were resorting to hunting.

He began to walk, trusting that Claire would catch up to him - she did, bounding past him moments later with a playful wag of her tail. She never strayed far from him, so he didn't worry when she ran out of sight. Beneath the protective covering of the trees, the ground was fairly dry but damp enough he was able to pick out a trail. He shifted course, moving to the west, and heard branches cracking to his right as Claire caught his scent and changed directions to follow. She caught up to him easily enough.

But that's where things changed.

Claire raced up to him and went up on her hind legs, front paws braced against Cas's chest. He stumbled back, surprised, as she pushed off him and ran back the other way. She stopped a few feet away before turning to look back at him. It was a look that screamed 'well are you going to follow me or not?' and Cas blinked dumbly at her before following, wiping off his shirt as he went. She'd been somewhere muddy, as she'd left paw prints on one of his only shirts. Near a river, maybe? Had she found something worthwhile? He picked up the pace, jogging after her.

It wasn't long before a new sound reached his ears, one that was barely audible over his feet and Claire's paws on the crunchy leaves. Someone was crying. Claire suddenly veered off the path into the woods. Cas hesitated for a moment, glancing around. He blended in well with humans, but that didn't mean he went out of his way to spend time around them. Most humans didn't like angels, even falling angels that had refused to join Michael. It could be a lost human, a hunter or demon laying a trap, or a Croat laying in wait. He put his hand out, letting his angel blade slide into his grip, before he proceeded. He'd only gone about twenty feet when someone spoke.

"Who... who's there?"

Cas stopped. The voice was both older and younger than he'd anticipated; it sounded like a young man. Claire returned to his side. She wasn't nervous or upset, so he decided to answer. "It's me. My name is Cas."

"Who are you?"

"I told you, I'm Cas. I was out looking for some supper when Claire came to find me and wanted me to follow her. I assume because of you... whoever you are." 

"Are you a demon? Or an angel?" The voice was soft with an undercurrent of fear, which wasn't unusual in this day and age. 

"No," Cas said, which wasn't technically a lie. He was a falling angel, and would be nothing more than a human within the next few months if things continued at this rate - and they probably would, since Michael and Lucifer were showing no signs of wrapping up their damn war anytime soon and he had zero interest in joining either one of them.

He'd finally pinpointed where the voice was coming from, and looked up at the figure sitting in the tree about fifteen feet overhead. The boy shrank back against the trunk in an effort to hide, but Cas could still see him easily. Light brown hair and a smooth, young face, probably approximately eighteen or nineteen in human years, and wearing a leather jacket and jeans. 

There was a rifle sitting across the boy's lap. It was hard to say whether he'd been trying to hunt for game or for something else. In Cas's experience, hunters didn't typically cry. And even from where he was standing, he could make out the tear tracks on the boy's face.

But those factors weren't what really caught Cas's attention. No, that was the beautiful shining soul that this boy had. Cas had never seen anything like it. He was entranced, so much so that he almost missed the threads of pale blue that flickered throughout the brilliant white. Ana had explained what that meant way back when Cas first fell to Earth. This boy was a Little, just like the red-haired human that had accompanied Ana everywhere. Ana had been fiercely protective of her, and the red-haired girl had been devoted to Ana in turn.

At least that explained the crying.

“You’re human?” the boy said. “And… your dog?”

“She’s just a dog,” Cas said, deciding to avoid the first question. “Now that we’ve established who I am, who are you?”

“I’m Dean.”

“It’s nice to meet you, Dean,” said Cas. He didn’t need to ask if Dean was human. Only humans could have souls, though no human that Cas had come across had a soul like _that_.

Dean cocked his head. “Not gonna ask me what I am?”

“If you weren’t human, Claire would’ve told me,” Cas replied, crouching down to stroke Claire’s head. “What are you doing up there?”

“I’m looking,” said Dean, as though it should’ve been obvious.

“Looking for what?”

“… Nothing.”

That was a lie. Cas frowned, curious, but decided not to push. “What a coincidence. I was looking, too.”

“For what?” Dean asked.

“My dinner.”

It would’ve been lost to anyone who wasn’t an angel. Dean perked up at the mention of food, cheeks hollowing as he sucked at his teeth. His fingers tightened around the rifle. Cas didn’t know humans as well as he wanted to, and he still missed out on a lot of obvious things, but not even he could miss such blatant signs of hunger. He wrestled with himself for a moment, something that was becoming a lot more common. He didn’t miss much about being an angel, but the ability to just _know_ everything was one of them.

“Claire and I are good at hunting. We always catch too much. You can join us, if you want. I’ve been told I’m decent at cooking rabbit,” Cas said. It would be a shame if such a bright soul passed away just because Dean was unable to feed himself.

Dean hesitated for a long time, clearly weighing the offer of free food against spending time with a stranger. He must have been really hungry because he gave in, tossing the rifle over his shoulder and skillfully shimmying down the trunk. He hit the forest floor with both feet, knees bending to absorb the shock, and turned to face Cas, rubbing a smear of sap off one cheek with his sleeve.

“I can’t pay you anything,” he said. “And it’s no use thinking you’ll steal my rifle. There’s no bullets left in it.” He scuffed his boot against the ground, looking up at Cas from beneath long lashes.

“Why do you keep it if it has no bullets?” Cas asked.

“It makes people think twice about attacking me.”

“People have attacked you?” Cas wasn’t sure why, but the idea of anyone attacking Dean brought forth a flicker of anger. It couldn’t have been provoked: this skinny, bright-eyed little boy wasn’t going to be doing harm to anyone. 

“Some men think I’m pretty,” Dean said simply.

That was all it took to fan the flicker into a flame. “But you’re a Little. You’re not interested in sex.”

“Pegged me that fast, huh?” Dean sighed, rubbing his hands together like he was cold. “No wonder Dad didn’t want me around.” He spoke that last part very softly, the words clearly not meant for anyone other than himself, but Cas’s exceptional hearing caught them anyway.

It wasn’t the first time he’d heard about children or Littles being abandoned. The world had turned hard. People struggled to fend for themselves, never mind those who couldn’t care for themselves. That was how Ana had ended up with Charlie; she’d found Charlie living in the back of a car, slowly starving, and had ended up taking Charlie under her wing – literally. 

But that didn’t mean Cas had to like it. “There’s nothing wrong you being a Little.”

Dean snorted. “I can honestly say that’s the first time I’ve ever heard that.” He looked at Cas. “Look, if you feed me, I’ll do what I can to repay you. I know how to sharpen knives. I can hide trails. I can help you hunt by setting traps.” His shoulders hunched. “I’d hunt to feed myself, but –”

“It’s fine,” Cas said, not wanting to hear whatever lie Dean was going to come out with. “I told you, Claire and I always catch too much.”

A fraction of the wariness left Dean’s face when he looked down at Claire. “Claire, huh? Odd name for a dog.”

“We’re an odd pair,” Cas said. It was the truth. A fallen angel and a dog that used to be a human girl? And now, a Little with the brightest soul he’d ever seen. Odd, indeed. “How do you feel about rabbit?”

Dean blinked, then gave a tiny, shy smile. “I love rabbit.”

Cas smiled back at him. “Rabbit it is.”


	2. Chapter 2

If Cas had thought that he would feed Dean one meal and then they would part ways, he would've been wrong. He doused the fire that had cooked their rabbit and then stood, ready to move into the shelter to sleep, when something caught his eye. He looked down at Dean in astonishment. Claire had been laying on the far side of the fire, warming her fur, and Dean had curled up against her. His head was pillowed on her side, thumb tucked securely in his mouth. Claire's eyes were shut, but she opened them when she sensed Cas's attention and lifted her head.

"I can't keep him," Cas said, putting his hands on his hips. He would've raised his tattered wings if he'd thought it would've given him more of an edge, but Claire had already made it clear that she didn't think much of them. 

Claire huffed at him and lowered her head.

"Claire, it's too dangerous. You know the kind of attention I attract. It's not right," Cas insisted.

This time, she gave him the kind of scornful glare that only a teenaged girl could be capable of, dog form or not. She twisted until she could reach Dean, then licked Dean's cheek. Dean smiled in his sleep and gave a happy little murmur, cuddling closer to her. In spite of himself, Cas could feel his heart melting at the adorable sight. Dean looked so safe and warm. He couldn't help thinking about the sight of Dean in that tree, alone and wary of anyone who might stumble across him. Would Dean have spent the night in that true, hiding from predators? Would he have been lonely and cold and hungry?

"I said no and I meant it," Cas said, yanking his traitorous brain away from that path. He shook his finger at Claire and ducked into the shelter, knowing that the two of them would be okay just outside. He should've known that Claire would get attached. Tomorrow morning, he would have to take Dean somewhere safe and leave the Little there whether Claire liked it or not.

But then came morning, when Dean got up and grabbed his rifle and said, "Thanks for sharing your campsite with me. I appreciate it." 

And without thinking twice, Cas said, "We're moving on today. The game in the forest has pretty much run out. You can tag along if you want. At least until we get to somewhere where the hunting is better."

Dean blinked, looking genuinely surprised by the offer. "Are you sure?"

"About moving on? Yeah, I am. I don't like to stick to one place for too long. There are... certain people looking for me." Cas didn't look at Dean as he spoke. There was no way he could tell Dean the truth. It was safer for Dean if he didn't know. Safer for Dean if he didn't come.

"That's smart," Dean said, and Cas glanced at him in surprise to find Dean nodding. "Okay."

"You... okay," Cas said faintly, wondering if perhaps Dean had missed the potential signs of danger. He ignored Claire's smug look and quickly packed what little belongings they had before beckoning to Dean. He led the way towards where he'd stashed his car, having learned early on that it was never a good idea to park too close to the shelter. It was better if people didn't always realize this car belonged to someone, much less that it was in working order.

"Is that... a 1978 Lincoln Continental Mark V?" Dean asked, sounding shocked.

"Uh... yes. Yes it is," Cas said. He actually didn't know what kind of car it was, only that that it was a pale brownish gold in color. The color reminded him of a coat he'd owned at one point, before it was destroyed in a fight with some demons. He rested a hand lightly on the hood and looked at Dean's gleeful face.

"That's a pretty nice car. I haven't seen one like this for a while," Dean said.

"You like cars?"

"Yeah. I know a little about them." Dean seemed to change as he got closer, brightening up. "My dad has a 1967 Chevy Impala." Almost as soon as the words were out of his mouth, his expressed closed off. Cas stared at him, taking note of the tense Dean had used. _Has_ , not _had_. If Dean's father was alive, why wasn't Dean with him? Littles were never supposed to be without a caregiver, particularly not young Littles like Dean was. Had Dean run away for some reason?

"Maybe when we stop, you can take a look at this one. It makes a funny noise under the hood sometimes," Cas said, deciding not to press right now. It really wasn't any of his business.

"Sure," Dean said.

Cas nodded at him and opened the back door, letting Claire onto the backseat. Then he got into the driver's seat. It was a little strange when Dean got into the passenger side seat beside him, but having more company wasn't necessarily unpleasant. He started the car and carefully navigated his way out of the little clutch of trees where he'd parked. Seeing that the coast was clear, and no one was around to see them, he drove up onto the road and turned right, heading towards the highway. He wanted to get at least four or five hours away before they stopped.

He'd been driving for about three hours when he realized that Dean had fallen asleep beside him. Cas glanced over at him thoughtfully. Much as he hated to admit it, he could see why some men might find Dean attractive. There was an innocence about Dean, something inquantifiable but which was impossible to ignore. The big green eyes and smooth skin also didn't help. Cas could definitely think of a few humans that he'd met who would take a sadistic glee out of perverting, if not outright destroying, that sweet innocence. He found himself silently thanking his absent Father that he and Claire had been the one to find Dean.

But that didn't mean Dean was safe with them, either. Demons and angels alike were hunting the fallen angels on Earth, both sides seeking to recruit whoever they could and killing those they couldn't. Thus far, Cas had been able to fight his way out of any sticky situations. He didn't know how much longer his luck would hold out. Until his grace was gone, maybe? He would be truly helpless then no matter how many skills he'd picked up living as a human. The thought of a demon getting their filthy hands on Dean made his chest hurt. It would be better if he could take Dean somewhere else.

He'd just have to talk to Dean about it, that was all. Cas nodded to himself, pleased with his decision, and turned on the radio. He found a station that was playing music and turned it up a little, not loud enough that it would wake Dean but loud enough that he could easily hear it. Humming softly, he pressed down on the accelerator, not noticing that Dean's small smile had changed to a restless frown.

"Sammy," Dean mumbled, drawing Cas's attention back to him. A single tear slid down his cheek. "Sammy..."

"Dean?" Cas said, peering over at him. It looked like Dean was having a nightmare. His face was scrunched up and he kept squeezing his hands into fists. Cas was wondering whether he should stop the car when Dean suddenly jerked awake.

"Wha - who - pull over!"

"Dean?" Cas repeated, confused, but obeyed. Fortunately there was no one else on the highway, because the second the car stopped Dean yanked his seatbelt off and threw himself out of the car.

Concern mounting, Cas quickly put the car into park and followed. He moved over to where Dean was kneeling on the ground, wondering if there was something he should do or say. All thoughts fled his mind when he smelled a distinct, acrid scent. The ground beneath Dean was darkening with a small pool of urine. Dean's head was down, but his shoulders were shaking and he was curled in on himself. 

"I'm sorry," Dean burst out. "I'll pay to have your car cleaned."

"My..." Cas trailed off, glancing over his shoulder instinctively. He could easily see the few droplets of liquid on the seat, and realized that Dean had just barely gotten out of the car in time. Claire was sitting up in the backseat, looking at them curiously.

"You can take the rifle," Dean went on, rubbing at his eyes with a fist. "Just go."

Just go? And leave Dean here on the side of the road, out in the open, without any protection? Cas shook his head at the very idea. "Absolutely not."

"What?" Dean looked up at him in surprise. His eyes were bright with tears and he was shaking.

"I'm not leaving you," Cas said. He'd been fooling himself before, he realized. There was something about Dean that called to him, and Cas had never been very good at denying himself. He didn't want to leave Dean behind. He didn't want to take Dean somewhere safe, not unless it was a safe place where Cas could go too. He didn't know where that place would be, but maybe they could find it together.

He backed away from Dean and strode over to the car, opening the trunk. His whole world was located in that trunk; he rummaged quickly through the clothing he'd found here and there and pulled out a pair of sweatpants and a t-shirt, as well as an old towel. He also had a few bottles of water in the trunk. He took one of those and closed the trunk. Dean was staring at him with a face that was trying hard to be composed, but Cas could see that his bottom lip was quivering. It was obvious that Dean fully expected him to get in the car and leave.

Instead, Cas walked back to him. "Undress," he said gently. "We can clean you up with a towel and then you can wear my clothes until we get to the next town and can wash yours."

Dean stared at him, befuddled. "I - what - you -" he stammered.

Remembering how Ana had acted with her Little, Cas went down on one knee and gripped Dean's leather jacket. Dean allowed him to pull it off, still blinking in shock. He didn't protest when Cas removed the shirts he was wearing underneath. That seemed to get him moving and he stood on shaky legs, unbuckling his belt and pulling down his wet jeans. Underneath the jeans was a soiled pull-up that had obviously been used several times over. Cas recoiled slightly and Dean flushed from the tips of his ears all the way down his chest.

"My - my dad didn't like that I was a Little. He expected me to be able to control my bladder," Dean said, not looking at Cas. His back straightened, shoulders coming up around his ears. "He wouldn't let me... I had to make do with what I could find. I've been trying to pay attention, but I suck at it when I fall asleep."

There were so many things tangled up in that, that Cas wasn't sure what to say at first. He'd never been good at this sort of thing. He could've said that Dean's father was a foolish, stupid man, because Littles could no more deny their natures than any other human on Earth. Especially young Littles. They were born without the fine muscle control necessary to control their bladders or bowels. It would've taken an unbelievable amount of focus for Dean to hold off as much as he had, and Cas found it difficult to think that Dean would've done that purely on his own merit. 

"We'll find you some diapers," Cas said finally. This wasn't the time or place to criticize Dean's father, even though he had a growing suspicion as to how Dean had ended up in his own.

"I don't need diapers," Dean said. It was clearly an automatic response, so Cas decided to just ignore him. He poured some water on the blanket and set about cleaning Dean up. It wasn't until he'd finished, and had discarded the towel, that he realized he may have crossed a line. Humans could be funny about things like that. He peered up at Dean only to find that Dean was watching him with a blank, unreadable look. 

"It's cold out. Let's get you dressed," Cas said when it became clear that Dean wasn't going to move or speak. He grabbed the sweatpants and held them so Dean could step into them; they'd need to stop at the next town for diapers no matter what Dean said. He handed Dean the t-shirt, over which Dean pulled on his leather jacket. Dean remained silent the whole time, and if Cas were pressed to guess he would've said the silence seemed contemplative as opposed to angry - but he wasn't sure what, if anything, that meant.


	3. Chapter 3

Cities weren't always safe, but this one didn't look too bad. Despite that, Cas was on guard as he walked into the drugstore. No one met his eye, but that was to be expected. He found his way to the aisle for Littles and, after some perusal, selected a couple packages of diapers that looked like they would fit Dean. He also picked out a pacifier, two bottles, and a small, stuffed purple rabbit. The cashier was a somber boy who didn't smile or even look at Cas as he rang Cas through. Cas paid with a stolen credit card and then picked up his bag, leaving the store as quickly and quietly as he'd come.

He walked back to the car and slid inside, putting his bag down on the floor. Dean had crawled into the backseat while Cas was gone, and was curled up around Claire. Cas twisted around to smile at them. Claire was sound asleep, stretched out across the backseat, forcing Dean to crouch awkwardly in the tiny space behind the passenger seat so as not to crowd her too much. He had both arms wrapped around her midsection and his face buried in her fur. As though sensing Cas's attention, a green eye peeked up at him briefly before hiding again.

Cas smiled. Dean was adorable. "I think tonight I wouldn't mind sleeping in a real bed," he said. "How about you?"

He wasn't really expecting an answer, which was fortunate because none was forthcoming. Cas hummed softly as he put the car into drive and left the drugstore. He didn't typically stay in motels. There were too many humans around, and groups always meant they were at a higher risk of being attacked by Croats, angels or demons. Besides, he and Claire did just fine finding shelters on their own. But Dean was young, and fragile. It seemed better to book a room in a motel, at least for tonight while they figured things out. And if Dean decided he didn't want to stay with Cas after finding out the truth, then Cas could leave him somewhere safe.

When they pulled up in front of the motel, Cas left Dean and Claire in the car and went to book a room. Rates were absurdly cheap, not that it really mattered since Cas wasn't the one paying for it. He returned to the car, collected his own bag, the drugstore bags, Little and dog, and took them both to the room he'd picked. It was a moderately sized room with two queen-sized beds, one for each of them. The bathroom was in decent shape, with a bathtub where Dean would be able to take a bath if he wanted to. Cas set the bags down on the table and turned to Dean.

"You can take a shower or bath if you want. I got you some diapers."

"I'll shower," Dean said instantly. Cas would've attributed that to a dislike of baths, until Dean added, "I know it's never a good idea to take baths, because they take a long time and you never know when you'll need to run."

Cas stared at him for a moment, then said slowly, "Dean, if you want to take a bath, then do so. I'll know within plenty of time if we have to leave."

"No, it's fine." Dean shook his head and marched towards the bathroom. He entered and shut the door behind him, though he didn't lock it. Cas looked at Claire. She wagged her tail. He sighed.

"I have the feeling that I've bitten off more than I can chew," he muttered. What kind of man had Dean's father been? Teaching his kids that they didn't even have enough time to take a bath? It was true that sudden attacks could happen, but Cas knew those were rare. Besides that, he would be able to sense it the instant an angel, demon or Croat entered a ten mile radius. He'd have ample time to collect Dean and Claire and run.

He rummaged through the bag, took out the diapers, and poked around in his own bag until he found a pair of sweatpants and a soft t-shirt that would for Dean. He opened the bathroom door a crack and piled everything on the counter where Dean would find it when he was done. Then he put Claire's leash on - which earned him a dirty look, but they both knew that it was safer that way when they were inside a city - and took her outside so she could have a bit of a walk. But he never went so far that he was out of sight of their motel room door.

They walked up and down the parking lot several times until Claire had tired herself out and Cas felt a little less restless. Then they went back to the room. Dean had emerged from the shower while they were gone and was sitting on one of the beds, dressed in the clothing that Cas had given him. An overpowering feeling of relief swept through the room when Cas walked in, unmistakable even to someone with a lessening amount of grace, and Cas suddenly realized that Dean had been afraid he wasn’t coming back.

“So,” Cas said, taking Claire’s leash off and setting it on the table. “how are you doing?”

Dean looked utterly surprised by the question. “Uh, I’m fine,” he said slowly. “What kind of damage did I do to the car?”

“I don’t know. I didn’t look. I was just walking Claire,” Cas said, moving over to the other bed and taking a seat. “She sleeps better if she gets the chance to walk around before bed, and life is much easier when Claire gets her sleep. She can be very dramatic otherwise.”

“She’s not really a dog, is she?” Dean asked, and Cas looked at him.

“How do you know that?” he asked, curious. Most people never paid enough attention to Claire to figure out that she was something more. Which was just fine as far as Cas was concerned, because normal humans were incredibly wary of anything that had to do with the supernatural. It was just easier if they thought Claire was a normal, if highly intelligent, dog.

“Just… it’s the way you talk to her, and how she reacts. I know dogs can be smart, but Claire… what is she?”

“She was a human,” said Cas, and Dean jerked back in surprise. “Actually, her father is my host.”

Dean froze. He was a hunter, so of course he knew what that meant. “You’re an angel.”

“A falling angel now,” Cas corrected, pleased that Dean hadn’t leapt to his feet and taken off running. This wasn’t a truth he’d shared with anyone else. He felt strangely lightheaded and excited all at the same time. Dean was looking between them, but he wasn’t freaking out.

“I don’t understand,” Dean said finally.

“Claire and her father were separated by her mother several years ago. They were trying to find her, and that led Jimmy, that was her father’s name, to take risks that he should not have taken.” Cas sighed and glanced over at Claire. She’d curled up in the corner and put her tail over her head. “They were attacked by a coven of witches.”

Dean grimaced. “I hate witches.”

“You and me both. These witches were looking for a sacrifice. They’d set a series of traps, and Claire was unfortunate enough to spring one of those traps. It turned her into a dog. The witches told Jimmy that, if he agreed to cooperate with them, they would change her back. What they didn’t tell him was that the cooperation they wanted involved carving up his body on an altar.”

“Damn,” Dean breathed, mouth twisted into a grimace. “What happened?”

“Jimmy began to pray. He wasn’t looking for someone to save him, but his child. He’s a suitable host for me, so his prayers reached me. But getting out of heaven, even back then…” Cas shook his head. “It was next to impossible. By the time I arrived, Jimmy was dead. I was able to inhabit his body because he’d given his permission before he died, and I killed the witches. But I didn’t have enough grace left to change Claire back. The spell they’d used on her was extremely potent.”

“So now she’s a dog forever?” Dean asked, glancing over at Claire. 

“I’ve been looking for a cure. I have some leads,” Cas said. “I have nothing better to do with my time. Leaving heaven was construed as an act of treason. I can’t go back.”

Dean turned his head back to stare at Cas, green eyes penetrating. “Then why leave? Why not ignore the human who was praying to you?”

Meeting Dean's gaze, Cas spoke frankly. "At that point, heaven was a terrible place to be. Michael ruled with an iron fist. He seems to have forgotten our Father's wishes. The idea of beating Lucifer has consumed him. Any angels who don't wish to be part of the battle are hunted and badgered until they join. At that time, I only knew I didn't want to participate. I didn't know why. Hearing Jimmy's prayer was the excuse I needed to leave. Unfortunately, coming to Earth without Michael's express permission is tantamount to treason in heaven. He's cut me off, and now I'm falling."

"Wow," Dean said after a few seconds. "And here my dad always told me that angels were dicks with wings, no better than demons."

Cas snorted. “Yeah, well, I guess we’ve found something that your dad wasn’t wrong about.”

“You said you’d know within plenty of time if we had to leave. Is that because of your angel mojo?” Dean asked.

“Sort of. I’ve had many clashes with my brethren. Lucifer and Michael are both trying to recruit fallen angels to their sides. Believe me when I say most of us just wish they’d both fuck off and die.”

Dean grinned, green eyes lighting up. “I didn’t know angels could swear.”

“I’m sure it’s written somewhere that we’re not supposed to, but I’m not exactly the poster child of an angel right now,” Cas replied. “I don’t usually tell people this for obvious reasons, but you deserve to know. It could be dangerous to you to stay with me, but you’re welcome to if you want to.”

“What…” Dean straightened up, the grin fading from his face. “You’re kidding, right?”

“No, I was very much serious.”

“Just in case you didn’t get the memo, I’m a Little,” Dean said slowly, exaggerating each word. “That means I’m basically useless. I slow people down. My dad tried to train me as a hunter, but I’m pretty useless because sometimes I slip into my headspace. And I’m not even a teenager, or a big kid. I’m a stupid baby.” He spat the word out like it was poison. 

“Dean,” Cas said quietly, “how did you end up in that tree?”

Dean hesitated, turning away slightly. “My dad… he said I was too dangeorus to keep around. I’m the reason my brother died a long time ago. He was trying to get us both out and Sammy… Dad was focused on me and Sammy didn’t make it out.” His voice quivered. “He called me a liability and said that he wasn’t prepared to die for me the way that Sammy did, and that if I was really the hunter I claimed I was, I’d be fine on my own. Then he took the car and drove away without me.”

Cas stared at him, speechless. The depths that humanity could sink to would never cease to surprise him, but in this case it left him infuriated on Dean’s behalf. He stood up and move over to Dean’s bed. Cautiously, he sat next to Dean. He wasn’t familiar with comforting people, but he’d watched others do it. He slowly put an arm around Dean’s shoulders, prepared to let Dean pull away.

Much to his surprise, Dean immediately melted against him. Cas glanced down at him just in time to see the tears in Dean’s eyes before Dean buried his face in Cas’s chest. Shocked, Cas looked at Claire, who had turned around to observe them. She visibly rolled her eyes at him and nodded impatiently in Dean’s direction. He took the hint and carefully wrapped his arms around Dean. He knew he’d made the right move when Dean let out a sob.

“You’re not a liability, Dean,” Cas whispered, “and you’re not useless. Your dad was wrong. If you want to stay with me, I’ll gladly accept your company for as long as you want to. I’ll…” He hesitated, but it felt right. “I’ll take of you, little one.”

**Author's Note:**

> Find me on [tumblr](http://tsuki-chibi.tumblr.com/).


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